Homecoming
by orpsgod
Summary: Inspired by Jennifer Lynn Weston's wonderful Jack to the Future series. Please see note at beginning of story for more on this. James comes home on leave, Jack is there waiting for him. Not slash Please read and comment.


Inspired by Jennifer Lynn Weston's Jack to the Future series. Please note I simply got the inspiration to write this from her original idea, therefore my characters and situations may not follow along with what she has written. If there are incongruities brought to mind please go with what she has written as she is the power in the water of my fictions based on her Jack to the Future series and her characters and story line should be taken over mine.

Homecoming

He'd almost let him walk right past him, almost didn't recognize him in that hat and uniform.

"James, over here!" Jack called out as he waved his arms about wildly and nearly hit the grandmotherly figure standing next to him in the roped off waiting area. Garnering a very un-grandmotherly glare from her Jack smiled his most endearing smile at the woman, "Sorry.", then instantly turned his attention back to see if he'd gotten James' attention.

James was stopped a few yards away, had set his suitcases down, and was now watching, and clearly smirking, at the interaction between Jack and the elderly woman. Jack ducked under the rope and swayed quickly in James' direction and the two men shook hands, and then pulled each other into an embrace.

"Missed you James." Jack whispered up into James' ear.

James leaned down next to Jack's ear, "As I have you Jack."

They separated hesitantly, then stood there looking at each other a bit awkwardly. James finally cleared his throat as if to speak. Before he could Jack began to babble, his arms and hands waving and flopping, and pointing as he did, "You've been gone too long James. Didn't hardly recognize you in that uniform you know, used to seeing you in the stiff, stuffy, and shiny kind. Don't get me wrong, you look quite fine in that, though it does appear you've lost some weight. Haven't been starving yourself from homesickness for old Jack now have you? Coast guard life isn't turning out to be too rigorous for you is it? Have you seen anything of interest yet? Been anyplace of an exciting nature?" Jack leaned over to peer at James' suitcases, "That's a nice set of luggage you've got there James…looks a bit familiar for some reason........"

Jack would have gone on for who knows how long but James managed to force a word in edgewise by putting a hand on Jack's shoulder and saying, "Seeing as it was a gift from you it should, now do you suppose we could continue this in the car? It's been a tiring day so far and I am a bit anxious to get home Jack."

Jack paused and looked at James, smiled happily, and replied, "Aye, home."

They each picked up a suitcase and James followed Jack in the direction of the car.

As they stowed the luggage in the trunk James asked Jack if he could drive. Jack rocked back on his heels with a bit of surprise. James smiled and reached into his back pocket; pulled his wallet out and flipped it open to show Jack his recently acquired driver's license.

Jack raised his eyebrow as he leaned in to examined the card, then looking from the license to James' face and back a few times he said, "Picture don't look a bit like you James, are you sure that is in fact you?"

"I am not impressed with the representation myself, but have been told by several of my fellow coast guardsmen driving license pictures on a whole are a sorry lot. It is valid however, despite the picture."

Jack handed James the keys to the vehicle, "Have at it James."

They settled into their respective seats, making necessary adjustments for optimum comfort, and fastened their seatbelts. James started the car and began to skillfully maneuver out of the parking lot.

After they had been on the road for awhile Jack spoke, "You are doing more than a fine job of driving James; I'm impressed, though at this speed your leave will be over long before we get anywhere near home."

James smiled as he replied, "Indeed. You know it's a funny thing Jack, during one of my first days at driving school they taught us about this thing they call a speed limit, and how costly it can be to exceed it."

"Trifles James, 'specially when you're wanting to be somewhere that you are not and wish to be there faster than the speed limit would allow you to arrive." Jack said with a dismissive flop of his hand.

James shook his head, "You never have been one to allow the law to constrain you Jack Sparrow."

"Least my activities now a days, other than a bit of speeding now and again, are mostly of the much less larcenous type James." Jack smiled.

"One can only hope." James replied dryly.

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James pulled into the driveway and parked. He and Jack exited the car, and the next moment James saw a lanky and very scruffy looking animal bounding toward him and Jack from around the side of the house.

"Jack, that is a……dog…a very large dog Jack." James said totally taken off guard. "When did you get a dog? I didn't even know you liked dogs."

"Like a lot of things James, besides, I had to have something to comfort me in my loneliness whilst you were gone." Jack said, trying for a sorrowful expression.

James raised his eyebrows and retorted, "All the women suddenly disappear from the area?"

Jack stuck his tongue out briefly, and as the dog came to a stop in front of Jack to be petted Jack lowered his hand to accommodate, then asked, "So anything seem familiar bout said canine James?"

As James took a better look at the dog, then looked at Jack a bit surprised, "He looks like the dog from the Fort Charles jail, the one that used to carry the keys around in his mouth." Then with some suspicion, "How did you manage that?"

"Weren't nothing I did, just a bit of fortuitousness that I found him in the local Humane Society shelter. Was telling the truth bout wanting some companionship after you left." Jack replied quietly.

James reached over and petted the animal, "So what did you name him……and if you answer Commodore I shall throttle you right here." The last delivered with a trace of humor.

"I just call him dog, sounds as good as any name I could moniker him with, and he seems agreeable to it, least he answers to it, most of the time." Jack said as he ceased the petting and moved toward the trunk of the car to retrieve James' luggage. "What did you call the dog at Fort Charles?"

James smiled and said, "We called him dog."

Jack grinned and flopped his hands out to the side, "Well, there you have it then."

Between the two of them they carried James' luggage into the house and up to James' room. James paused as he stepped though the bedroom door, looked around at his belongings still placed just where he had left them, then back at Jack and sighed, "It's good to be home Jack."

"Good to have you back James, even if it's not for long enough." Jack replied. After a bit of silence during which they just stood looking at each other Jack fluttered his fingers in front of him and said, "Are you hungry? I could go fix us something to eat while you put your effects away."

When the eye contact between him and Jack was broken James walked over to the side of the bed and set the suitcase down. He spotted a bowl sitting on the bed side table, looked over at Jack with a smile, then reached over and ran his finger around the edge of the bowl before reaching in and picking up a handful of M&Ms. "Jack."

"James?"

"Sandwiches."

"Sandwiches?"

"Sandwiches would be nice, perhaps made from some of that delicious ham that used to be kept around if you have it, with a thick slice of cheese and a generous amount of mayonnaise."

"Ham sandwiches it is James." He turned to leave, then tossed back over his shoulder, "It really is good to have you home James."

"It is good to be home Jack, even if not for nearly long enough."

Finis

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